Avery Award for Outstanding Commitment to Gastroschisis Research
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
I’m extremely honored to have received this award for the research that I’ve done on gastroschisis. I’ve been very fortunate to have the guidance and mentorship from Dr. Helmrath during my time in his lab and would not be where I am today without him. As we have learned (and are still learning), simple gastroschisis is not always simple. Some people born with simple gastroschisis experience gastrointestinal symptoms later in life, which can affect their quality of life. There is still much to learn regarding gastroschisis and this study demonstrates the need for developing prospective registries in order to accurately determine long-term outcomes as well as strategies to decrease morbidity. I hope to be able to continue my work on gastroschisis for years to come.
Dr. Gillian Goddard is currently a research fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Helmrath. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas at Houston Medical school (now known as McGovern Medical School) and has completed two years of general surgery residency prior to becoming a research fellow. Her current research interests include intestinal adaptation, gastroschisis, and necrotizing enterocolitis and she currently has two prospective studies ongoing in the neonatal intensive care unit. After finishing her research fellowship, she plans to finish residency and have an academic career in general surgery.